


It´s my whole heart

by Nevaeh



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Everyone Is An Adult, F/F, Major character death - Freeform, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Oral, and they both bitch a lot, lot´s of drama, lot´s of relationship talk, sex at the beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-04-11 14:43:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4439798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevaeh/pseuds/Nevaeh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It doesn´t matter how long you´ve been here, life is still scary, it´s weird and it has no rules. The only thing left… is to figure out what you want. No matter what.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on the OS ‘I know you want me’ You can read it without reading the other one first. It´s a Bra/Chichi story, in which Bra notices that Chichi is quite attractive and Chichi notices that she could finally give in to her slight interest in women. It was mostly smut, so here´s a bit more story of what happened after they got comfy with their arrangement.
> 
> Warnings: No one is underage! A little bit of lesbian sex, light domination play, light bondage.
> 
> Bra is around 30 and Chichi around 70.
> 
> Have fun!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

 _And it's my whole heart_  
_While tried and tested, it's mine_  
 _And it's my whole heart_  
 _Trying to reach it out_  
 _And it's my whole heart_  
 _Burned but not buried this time_

Which Witch – Florence and the Machine

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Casual. That was the word Bra would use to describe her relationships. She had had exactly one and a half serious ones, everything else had been blissfully casual. Some sex, some small talk, nothing else. She should´ve… frowning, she took a sip from her coffee. She should´ve known better. Not having asked in the first place. Chichi was sitting opposite her, looking more uneasy than should be humanely possible. Leave it to her to do it anyway.

 

“What is your goddamn problem? If I had known going to a café was such a hassle I would´ve gladly stayed at home and made the fucking coffee myself!”

 

Chichi looked nervously around, stroking some loose strand of hair back that didn´t even exist.

 

“Don´t worry, no one´s gonna suspect we just fucked.” Bra knew that she was poking at wounds, but she didn´t care. She hated it when someone ruined her perfectly fine day.

 

“Don´t talk so loud! It´s bad enough that they all think I´m your grandma.”

 

Bra huffed, taking another sip. “Didn´t know you can read minds now.” It wasn´t as if she couldn´t understand, but they hadn´t done anything to out them either way. Bra knew there was always some lousy paparazzi who was happy to get a photo of the Capsule Corp offspring, and just for that she wouldn´t risk some public action. That hadn´t been her intention anyway. If she was honest to herself she just had thought that maybe…

 

“What´s so bad about talking? We don´t really do that. Aren´t we… friendly enough for that?”

 

“It´s not that and you know it.” Chichi still didn´t look at her. “I… I didn´t really give it much thought when I said I´d go with you, but can´t you see that this is not right?”

 

Bra rolled her eyes, not even trying to hide her contempt. “No one thinks you’re my grandma. Most people know who she is anyway. You do realize people can be friends independent from age?”

 

Chichi didn´t react, she just stared daggers at the floor.

 

“You need a ride home then?”

 

“You said it wouldn´t be like this. You said it wouldn´t be… you know, since it´s just meaningless activity. YOU said that!” Finally she looked up, but Bra didn´t like the look in her eyes at all. “And you are forcing me into an impossible situation!”

 

They were staring at each other for a few seconds before Bra waved for the waitress. “We should get back to my place. I don´t want this conversation here.”

 

“Oh, so you do realize that it is completely improper?”

 

“No Chichi, I just don´t want to scream in public.”

 

She forced a smile on her face when she paid.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

The door was barely shut behind her when she felt save enough to be true to her words.

 

“What is your FUCKING PROBLEM? I didn´t ask you to spend the rest of your fucking life with me, I asked if you wanted to drink coffee! I know you impossibly long and know basically nothing about you. I thought, well, maybe that wouldn´t be so bad? Maybe she could tell me about her dirty romance novel hobby. Maybe I could bitch about work a bit! But obviously your insecurities make you so damn paranoid that you are incapable of normal reactions to normal activities!”

 

She saw how Chichi´s jaw clenched. Would probably start crying. Somehow it made Bra feel very proud.

 

“I don´t WANT relationships! Not with you or anyone else.” She shook her head in emphasis. “And I thought we were over this often enough, I`m old enough to decide who I want to fuck. Are you?”

 

Crossing her arms Chichi looked away.

 

“So how about you just say what you want to say instead of throwing a tantrum that no one needed!”

 

“I did say everything! Stop twisting my words! Every time I tell you about anything you just… you just wave it away and ignore it. Don´t you dare say it isn´t like that!” Chichi wasn´t anywhere near crying. She looked like she wanted to rip Bra´s throat out. “Do you ever hear yourself talking? I don´t even want to know what you do at your work if you treat everyone like you treat me!”

 

She turned around, paced a bit through the room. Bra just rolled her eyes, pressing her hands on her hips. Fine. Let´s enter the part where she would finish with how nice it had been and hopefully Chichi would have a nice rest of her life.

 

“Maybe it doesn´t seem so important to you, but even if…” Chichi turned around, her eyes shining with fury. “Even if I gave in easily, it doesn´t mean that I am completely okay with the fact that you are as old as my grandchild. It´s probably hard for you to feel something similar to sympathy, but…”

 

“So what? I get it, this is just sex. You don´t want to be friendly so you can still pretend that it isn´t really happening. So why didn´t you just say no when I asked?”

 

Chichi frowned, speechless for a second. “About the coffee? You shouldn´t even have asked in the FUCKING first place!”

 

Bra tried to contain her anger, not even looking at her when she stormed out. Casual. That´s what she preferred. Not witnessing some temper tantrums in her living room about absolutely fucking nothing. Kicking her shoes off she threw herself on the couch, staring angrily at the ceiling until it got too dark to see anything.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

After the two hour flight she still wasn´t nearly calmed down. It had been nice for a while, but she should´ve known better. Nothing was good for a long time. Clenching the steering wheel, she tried not to accidentally ram her own house.

 

There were things Bra couldn´t understand and Chichi highly doubted she ever would. She didn´t know what it meant to be committed to someone, to have people who depend on her, who _need_ her. It probably hadn´t seemed like that to Bra, but if anyone even suspected what was going on… Chichi sighed, leaning her forehead against the steering wheel. It would be a disaster. After a few minutes of silent contemplation she got out. She had neglected her housework for a while, no time to dwell on ruins.

 

A few days later Pan was happily cutting some vegetables in her kitchen. Usually Chichi was more than happy to have her granddaughter around, but… she hadn´t talked to Bra. Not called, not answered the phone, not flown over to Southeast City. It was the right thing, but it didn´t mean that she didn´t feel bad about it.

 

“Don´t you feel lonely here, grandma?”

 

Chichi looked up, confused. She had been lost in her thoughts. “What?”

 

“I mean, you´re on your own all the time. Isn´t that…” Pan shrugged. “Boring?”

 

“I´m… I´m not on my own. Goten still lives here and your parents are just next door. And it´s almost time for Goku to show up again.” She laughed nervously, when it hit her. It _was_ almost time for him to come over from wherever he was training again. He usually just popped up and Chichi felt a shiver run down her spine thinking about how he could´ve shown up when she was over at Bra´s.

 

“Yeah but you don´t have any friends here, right? Family is nice and all, but… maybe it´s just me, I do need some more people around to not go crazy. Too many saiyans, right?”

 

Chichi smiled weakly. “Aren´t you one as well?”

 

“Grandma, I´m so watered down, I don´t even count!” She laughed heartily and it made Chichi´s heart ache thinking about how much it reminded her of Goku.

 

Later that evening she couldn´t sleep, tossing around on the bed and trying to think about the garden work she wanted to do the next day and how urgent a shopping trip was, but she just couldn´t get it out of her head. She hadn´t been excited about Goku coming back. She hadn´t been excited about the thought of seeing her husband again after months and months of absence. It was a thought she hadn´t dared to think until now, it was too frightening. It was too… painful.

 

It was just a few weeks a year, and she wanted to cherish it, but she couldn´t. She caught herself being annoyed at not having the house for herself, since Goten was out so often. Annoyed that she couldn´t do her daily routine, about having someone else to care for. She wasn´t even that excited about sleeping with him, not after she found ways of entertaining herself. She still loved him, but not… like that.

 

Turning around again, she looked at the empty spot. Was that the reason she had been so twitchy around Bra? She was trying so desperately to pretend that she just wanted to use Bra for some secret little fantasies she had had, but maybe she had just involuntarily decided that she wanted… something else. Closing her eyes, she pressed the balls of her hands against her eyes. Or maybe she was just ungrateful.

 

After another hour of turning around she finally got up, dressed quickly and got into her plane. Tiny little plane she had bought with her own money. It had been so satisfying when she had bought it. And there were other things that had been very satisfying as well. Time to seek them out.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Bra didn´t realize it was her doorbell when she woke up. Completely disoriented she tried to turn off the alarm, when it didn´t work she tried to find her phone, but the annoying sound just didn´t stop! She got up, tumbling through the room. It was from outside. A few more seconds her head finally decided to work again and she realized that someone was on her door. Frowning, she dragged herself through the living room. When she opened the door, she just wanted to throw it right back and go to sleep. Pretend she hadn´t seen her. Sighing, she opened it a bit wider.

  
“Chichi, what do you want. It´s the middle of the night.”

 

“I had a revelation of sorts and I had to come over immediately.”

 

Bra stared at her for a few seconds, blinking rapidly against the bright light in the hallway. “You could´ve just told me tomorrow. This isn´t some romance novel.”

 

Chichi pushed past her, turned on the light and started to pace in front of the couch. Bra contemplated murdering her and threw the door shut with more emphasis than necessary. But it felt so good. “´tis better be damn good, it´s… fuck, it´s almost four and I have to get up at six!”

 

“I think I want to get away from home.”

 

She looked at her so expectantly. Bra felt the headache forming, her eyes burning like hell. “Okay. I´m gonna make some coffee. You want one without throwing a fit afterwards?“

 

“Tea is fine, thanks.”

 

Bra knew something big was up. Better make the coffee extra strong.

 

“So what´s the problem?” Bra handed her the cup, throwing herself on the couch. She tried desperately not to close her eyes.

 

“I told you. I… I need to get away. Somehow. I just… I can´t. I can´t. Not anymore.”

 

Bra angled for the pack of cigarettes on her table. The coffee tasted like shit. A fucking horrible night. “A bit more specific maybe? Is Goku-san back? You two had a fight?“

 

Chichi played with her cup, her eyes moving nervously. “He isn’t. And I think I don´t want him to be back. I think…”

 

“What? What is wrong?” She probably wouldn´t cry, but Bra wasn´t all that sure about it anymore. “Is this about what I said? I didn´t mean it like that, I was an ass. I´m sorry.“

 

“No, it´s not about that. I just… I love him, you know? I wanted to marry him, it had been my idea! And I´m still glad we did, I´m glad about everything we had, but I just… I want to… and… and… he had saved me so often, he has done everything for me, and I´m so ungrateful, I´m horrible, I know, but I can´t help it, I don´t know how!”

 

Finally she sat down on the armchair, the cup still in her stiff hands. Bra took a drag, using the time to think about what she should say. Relationship advice wasn´t really her forte.

 

“I´m… I´m not really an expert but when you justify staying with someone with feeling guilty, I guess it´s pretty clear you´re not behind it anymore. Or not that much.”

 

“But I wanted it! What does that make me?”

 

Bra sighed uneasily, putting her empty cup away. “Didn´t know people aren´t allowed to change their minds.”

 

“I just don´t know anymore. I don´t know what to do!”

 

“Well, what do you want to do? You said you want to leave home, so you want to get out? Leave Mount Paozu for a while?”

  
Finally she took a sip. That was a good sign.

 

“Or maybe…”

 

“I enjoyed the time with you. I enjoyed doing something just for myself. Not having anyone around, not my sons, not my husband, just… just me. Just for me. Pan told me she pities me for not having any friends.” She laughed, hysterically. “I don´t, everything I wanted had to stand back for everyone else, and I always thought that _that_ was what I wanted, I should be happy and content since I always wanted to marry and have children! But it´s not.” She stared at Bra, her eyes watery. “It´s just not.“

 

And then she started crying.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

It was a weird feeling running through her body when she had to watch someone cry. It always made her uneasy. Bra was a person of action. She liked to _do_ something, to have a problem and a specific solution. Crying was on a whole other level. Emotions were an enigma she didn´t like to tap into too much. She didn´t want to be tangled in other people´s problems.

 

She took another drag, slowly exhaling while she dropped the stub in her coffee cup. Chichi was sobbing violently, it was hard to look at. She had to make it stop somehow.

 

“Come on now, you´ll find a solution. It´s not the end of the world.” Bra sat down next to her, awkwardly patting Chichi on the back. Instantly, she flung herself on Bra. Bra barely kept herself from sighing. No wonder Pan pitied her grandma, if the only person Chichi could think of confining into was her…

 

“But… but…” Chichi didn´t manage to say anything, choking back the tears.

 

“You know, if you need a time-out, I can buy a flat wherever you want. You can keep it, it´s not that much money for me anyway and if you decide to go back home… Isn´t that what they always say, invest in real estate? I haven´t done that yet.” An interesting thought… Bra made a mental note to keep it in mind.

 

“I don´t want the house anymore. Goten can have it.”

 

“Maybe you sleep a night over it. You put so much effort into it, isn’t it important to you?”

 

“No, it´s just… it´s everything I can´t take anymore, it´s sucking the rest of life I have out of me!”

 

Bra thought it was a bit dramatic and definitely a decision she shouldn´t do on a whim. Probably should try to get her to sleep a bit and the next day or… later that day she could look at it again. Without the hysterics.

 

“Right, how about you stay here for a night? You can sleep in the guest room and tomorrow we can talk about it again. What do you think?”

 

Chichi moved away, looking at Bra with red rimmed eyes. “You think I´m gonna change my mind? Go back?”

 

“Honestly Chichi, do what you think is best. Just don´t do it after a meltdown. If you still want to move out tomorrow, I´m gonna help you. Okay?”

 

Chichi nodded, took her cup and drank the rest of her tea at once. When she put it down again, she looked exhausted. Crying was hard work.

 

“Okay. Okay. Thank you, Bra. Thank you.“

 

Bra rubbed Chichi´s arm, gesturing her to get up. “Don´t worry about it.”

 

Bra wondered if maybe she should worry about it though.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning for the little sex scene, it includes oral and some light domination play.
> 
> And I have to warn for tremendous amounts of angst. I don´t know, it fits so well and it writes so nicely. 
> 
> Okay, enough, have fun!

_You want a revelation,_  
You wanna get it right  
But it's a conversation,  
I just can't have tonight  
You want a revelation, some kind of resolution  
Tell me what you want me to say. 

 

No light no light – Florence and the Machine

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

When Bra got up the next morning, Chichi was still sleeping. She was glad about it, still exhausted and irritable from the lack of sleep and she really didn´t want to tackle existential questions before breakfast. There was also the meeting in the morning, the yearly board discussion, one of her least favourite events. It mostly consisted of complaints, telling her that they could easily earn more money, telling her that the employees should get less but the board should get more and she just couldn´t hear it. Sadly she needed them, the company was already too big to be managed completely on her own, but she understood. She understood her mum, why she never _had been_ CEO of Capsule Corp, instead decided to stay in research her whole career and let the fun part pass from her dad straight to Trunks. Bra didn´t envy him for the post. Her company was just right. Big enough to make decent profit, small enough for her to still enjoy the amount of time she had to invest without stripping her of all free time.

 

Free time that was very precious to her. Free time that she didn´t want to sacrifice to anything. She felt a slight pang of guilt for the thought, since Chichi had been seriously upset. But that was exactly what Bra had always tried to avoid. She wanted relationships that were pleasant and nice and didn´t involve guilt and trouble and confusing emotions. Leaving Chichi on her own though... she wasn´t a completely heartless asshole. Sighing, she finished eating and left the apartment, trying to shove away the tiny hope that maybe Chichi wouldn´t still be there when she came back.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

The board meeting had been just as expected and Bra was sitting in her office, staring at her computer screen, watching as the amount of annoying E-mails rose to incredible heights. Everyone wanted to make sure that their suggestions hadn´t put them in a bad place with their boss. Little did they know that Bra couldn´t stand any one of them and that she gladly would´ve fired them all already if she didn´t need them. Or could find someone better.

 

Sighing, she leaned back, closing her eyes against the headache that started forming. She was so tired... if just she could go back home, all the troubles suddenly disappeared from Chichi´s mind and they could just have some nice, slow fuck. Grinning slightly, she thought back to the last time, just a couple days ago, when everything was still fine, no drama, just... perfect bliss.

 

_Bra hadn´t known she enjoyed it that way, but then again she never had had the opportunity to try it out. Goten would´ve been strong enough to hurt her, but Goten was also way too vanilla for it. She would´ve liked to try, but what he described as rough sex was barely picking up the pace. A grin spread over her face when she imagined telling him how much better his mum was. In detailed technicolour description._

 

_“What are you laughing at?” Chichi stared down at her, a sly grin on her lips, her long hair tangled over her chest, making her look wild and fierce._

 

_“I just had to think about something...”_

 

_“Are you distracted? That way you´ll never earn it...”_

 

_Bra eyed Chichi´s breasts, the ones which were still impeccably dressed. She could understand that Chichi had been shy about it, at first. Now she wasn´t quite so sure if she liked the tease. Then again she liked the way Chichi made her play after her rules, something no one else had managed or even tried._

 

_“Maybe you should punish me for it, then?”_

 

_Chichi didn´t hesitate when she sat down on Bra, slowly moving herself over her until she stopped at Bra´s face. Bra had her hands bound around her thighs, lifting her legs up. A position she hoped would come in handy later, but she was just as willing to make Chichi come all over her. She didn´t hesitate for a second, sticking her tongue out, slowly licking over every spot she could reach. Sometimes she pitied Chichi for not being able to enjoy it like she did, not being able to taste and smell and feel her the same as Bra could, every tiny little shiver, every change in her scent, the heat radiating from her body getting stronger the closer she moved to the edge. Chichi´s movements were getting frantic, rubbing so harshly against her she started bumping against Bra´s nose. It was driving her insane and she regretted and was glad at the same time that she couldn´t move her arms, because otherwise she would´ve stopped the moaning that sent shivers down her spine by kissing Chichi until she would beg for air._

_Chichi stopped and Bra could feel her convulsing over her, her pussy so slick that it was dripping down Bra´s face. It was delicious. In every sense._

Sighing, Bra pulled her hand out of her pants. It hadn´t even fulfilled its purpose, she didn´t feel particularly relaxed and in the end it was like the bitter aftertaste of something great. But with Chichi questioning her life Bra was pretty sure she wouldn´t enjoy that pastime anytime soon. Huffing, she started clicking through her inbox.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Chichi felt disoriented and cranky when she woke up. It took her a second to realize where she was and another second to calm down after the initial shock. There was nothing wrong with sleeping away from her house for once. The only thing she couldn´t push away in her foggy mind was the reason she had flown over to Southwest City in the first place. The two hour flight had been a nightmare, constantly going over everything that she hated and wanted to change again and again and she just needed someone to… to tell her that it was alright. That she wasn´t a horrible person and that it was okay to feel like that and to act on it.

 

Sighing, she recalled her breakdown in front of Bra. Bra probably thought that she was crazy, but… Bra also told her that it was okay. And somehow it calmed her down. After rolling around in bed for a while longer she finally got up and showered. There wasn´t really anything she could do and she didn´t feel like going back to her house just yet. Her mind was still going through every argument for and against her leaving Mount Paouzu, it made her head spin. Sighing, she wandered to the living room and got comfy on the couch. There were some books, maybe that would distract her…

 

Bra came back around four, sooner than Chichi expected. Though she had no idea what regular working hours were even supposed to be, no one she knew worked at an office. She wondered if she should´ve prepared something to eat, but… putting the book away she had snatched from one of the shelves she got up, greeting Bra.

 

“I hope you don´t mind that I stayed.”

 

Bra eyed her while she removed her shoes. She smelled like smoke, stronger than usual. Chichi wondered if she just smoked more that day or if she maybe did it less before their meetings.

 

“Of course not. How are you feeling? Somewhat better?“

 

Chichi shrugged, not even sure if it was the case. “I guess. I… “ She stopped talking. Maybe she should give Bra the chance to arrive completely before throwing all her problems at her.

 

“So, what did you decide on? After rolling the problem around in your head all day.” There was a tiny smile tugging on Bra´s lips. But it was a smile. Chichi watched her taking a bag to the kitchen, slowly following her.

 

“I can´t stay at the house anymore. I… I need to get out.”

 

“Okay.” Bra disappeared for a second, grabbing two plates. After she put them down, she looked at Chichi. It was kind of reassuring. “Do you want an apartment in some city? I could arrange it.”

 

“I can´t take that offer, Bra, that´s too much!”

 

Bra huffed, pulling out a drawer with her cutlery. “Get a grip Chichi, it´s not as if you aren´t rich as well.“

 

“It´s not my money, it´s my son´s family’s money. I don´t want to be a charity case.”

 

Bra leaned over the counter, her eyebrows slightly raised. “So can you afford a flat with what you have?“

 

Chichi pressed her lips together. That was a problem she had tried to figure out, but to no avail so far. Thinking about it made her chest feel tight. So she had to go back after all.

 

“Chichi. You can move in here if you want.”

 

Was… was she serious? Bra was so private and independent, she couldn´t… but she wouldn´t have asked if not… would she? “I… you don´t have to, I mean, thank you for the offer, but I… I will figure it out.” She gulped. Asking Gohan for money wouldn´t make _her_ independent. But there was no other way…

 

“Come on now, Chichi, I´m serious. I have a whole floor for myself and I got a spare bedroom and bathroom I never use. And I´m at work all day, it´s like your own apartment. Without the rent, of course.”

 

Chichi´s throat felt tight. She nodded. “You don´t have to do this.”

 

“I´m sure you´ll be friends with all the people who come here during the day in no time. Maybe discourage them from stealing quite so much. That´s enough compensation.”

 

“Okay.” Relief flooded through her, finally realizing that Bra had bought dinner. She was really hungry. Of course she still had to talk to her family that she would move out but that… could wait until later.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Bra was fidgeting nervously with her pen while she stared at the draft contract on her screen, not being able to process a single word. For the first time in her life she had felt the need to help someone while hurting herself. Chichi had just looked so lost and… and… she had had to offer her to stay! Why couldn´t she just have accepted some apartment for herself!

 

Groaning, she rubbed her eyes. Well. Chichi had to explain to her family that she was moving out. Maybe they would convince her that it was a bad idea. Maybe it helped the situation that they would know how miserable their mum was and maybe it would all solve itself in the end.

 

Or maybe Chichi would tell them of their little secret and fuck everything up beyond anything Bra could imagine. Not that she was ashamed of it, but she didn´t want the whole bunch of them to know it and voice their opinions and judge her and….

 

Her phone was ringing. At least some kind of distraction.

 

When she got back home Chichi was waiting in front of the door, two suitcases next to her, one handbag. She looked tired, but determined.

 

“I think I need a key.”

 

Bra nodded softly, opening the door. She took one of the suitcases before Chichi could protest. “Is that all you need? Do you want me to send someone pick up your other stuff?”

 

“No, no, that´s fine. I´ll get it myself should I miss something.”

 

“And how did it go?” Bra put the suitcase down, looking at Chichi expectantly. Trying to ignore the pang of guilt telling her she was a horrible person for having hoped that it wouldn´t work out.

 

“It was… awful, both of them looked at me as if I told them there would never be food ever again.” She smirked. Bra wondered how often Chichi had still prepared food for her two very grown-up sons. “I just told them that my life as it currently is is not how I want it to be and that I will move out and Goten can have the house and they both wanted to protest, but Videl defended me and told me that she is glad that I found something that would make me happy, since I didn´t look very happy lately.” Now she grimaced, like she tasted something bad. “And, well, I said I`m gonna move in with you. Don´t worry, I told them that we talked when you were over to visit Goten and that we met up a few times to do some stuff. Friends don´t need to be the same age, right?”

 

Right. Nice way of throwing her own words back into her face. “What about Goku, Chichi? Isn´t he visiting from time to time?”

 

“They asked the same. Said that I will talk to him when he´s here. I couldn´t… I´m not so sure myself, there were enough other things to discuss.”

 

Bra nodded, slowly. She couldn´t change it now, but she would use the time Chichi lived in her apartment to try and coerce her to get her own place. “Let´s get your stuff to your room.”

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Chichi had always been an early riser and she still couldn´t sleep in, but for the first time in her life she enjoyed just staying in bed. She heard Bra getting ready at seven, not even trying to be quiet. Chichi didn´t mind, Bra just wasn´t used to it. Two hours later she heard the door again, probably some of the cleaning staff. Chichi finally got up, introduced herself and watched the two women working in the living room while she made herself a tea. Bra had mentioned some stealing, maybe she should follow them…

 

“You have the key for the cabinet?” The older one was pointing at the glass door, protecting an immense collection of porcelain figures. Now she noticed the locks on it.

 

“No, I don´t. Don´t you usually clean it?”

 

“Only when Miss Bra opens it for us.” She shrugged, continuing to dust the other shelves off. While they moved to another room, Chichi decided to inspect further. She already knew Bra liked to read biographies, but porcelain figures. That seemed so random. She couldn´t explain how she never noticed the display. They were pretty, yes, very delicate models of dancers and fantasy figures, only women. Especially the fantasy figures were beautiful, human bodies mixed with animal characteristics, delicate wings and tree branches spreading over two stories of the shelf. It still seemed a bit tacky, but Chichi could imagine why Bra kept those ones locked.

 

There wasn´t much art in the apartment, some understated pictures hanging on the walls here and there, mostly abstract paintings, very geometric. They did fit Bra´s style, she just wondered if it was for that purpose or if it really meant something to her. The figures seemed much more personal. Especially the one tiny woman with deer horns and brown locks, her eyes closed and her thin gown flowing down her body in a wave, tangled around her deer legs and ending in cascading flowers intertwined with the tree branch that was holding her up.

 

Smiling, she continued her little walk. She knew the living room with the white couch and the white carpet. There was also a huge TV set, boxes, a music player… she wondered if Bra ever used it. She didn´t seem like the kind of person who would sit in front of the TV in the evening.

 

The kitchen was just as understated, open to the living room, matt finish, the coffee machine alone was probably worth more than Chichi had earned in a year. She liked the bedroom, it was open and bright, the bed and the huge white closet and the very pretty curtains. Mild rosé with an unobtrusive flower pattern. She never had gotten a very good look at it when she was over for a visit. There hadn´t been really any time for it.

 

Chichi heard the cleaning ladies in the bathroom, so she went into the office. And it was a nice office. A huge desk, light wood, only a laptop on it and some other computer stuff. A few shelves, lots of documents she didn´t look at and of course… one side of the room was a huge window, and the whole length of it was lined by potted plants. There were strategically arranged plants throughout the apartment, but this display here looked like it was something personal. No flowers, only green plants. Probably the room Bra spent most of her time. She sat down on the chaise longue, inspecting every single plant, the tiny palm trees and the little bushes until her mind drifted off and she just watched the play of the sunlight on the green leaves. There was another huge apartment block on the other side of the street. It would´ve been nice if the view had been some mountains instead…

 

Chichi jerked up from her position when someone knocked on the office door. One of the cleaning ladies. “We´d like to clean this room now, Miss Chichi.”

 

“Yeah, sure.” She got up, still a bit dizzy. How embarrassing, falling asleep in the middle of the day! Usually she would… shaking her head, she went to the kitchen and started to make some tea. That was exactly why she had to leave. There was no need to feel guilty. Grinning, she started to inspect the fridge. She was getting hungry.

 

After the cleaning ladies left, Chichi continued her tour through the rest of the apartment. Everything was bright, so many windows, so much white everywhere. It was obvious that Bra needed the cleaning staff, the white carpets alone where awful enough. Stained so easily… It was a bit empty, though. Chichi was so used to her cramped house, every spot filled with something, every little picture, every little decoration a fond memory… Bra´s apartment though was kind of… lifeless. Shrugging, she went to the bathroom. Bra probably didn´t think so and it wasn´t her apartment anyway. Though after she´s seen everything, Chichi did think for a second that maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let Bra organize an apartment for her. Chichi just wasn´t used to think in the amounts of money Bra did. But… she could leave here anytime. Having her own flat… that was something final. And she wasn´t ready for it yet.

 

Sighing, she eyed the bathtub. It was huge, standing on four bronze feet and it looked like it desperately wanted to be used. Without another thought Chichi turned on the faucet. She couldn´t worry all the time after all.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

When Bra got home, she noticed that something was different. It smelled different. It wasn´t… her home anymore. She wrinkled her nose and walked over to the kitchen to set down the food she had just bought, taking a step back when she noticed the huge mess. Of course Chichi had to eat something, but she could´ve at least put everything in the dishwasher… Huffing, she tried to locate Chichi, finally finding her on the sofa in the alcove of her dining room. It was dimly illuminated by the city lights and Chichi was reading one of Bra´s novels. Something about fairies. Huffing again Chichi finally looked up.

 

“Oh, haven´t heard you coming in! How was work?”

 

“Great. I´ve bought something to eat.” She hesitated for a second. Not sure if she should really… “Could you not leave the kitchen a warzone next time?”

 

Chichi raised one eyebrow. “Thought that´s what those nice ladies who clean the place are here for? I did housework long enough, I´ve got no interest in continuing with it.”

 

“There´s a dishwasher. Put it in there.”

 

Chichi just walked past her, shrugging lightly. There was a hot feeling deep inside Bra´s guts. And she just hoped that Chichi would lose her attitude or they wouldn´t have a fun time living together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I´ve finally written something again! Okay, for everyone who doesn´t read my blog: I´m currently on hiatus, since my arm is still hurting and since this is going on for a year now I really need to lay low and let it heal. Which means less computer work and especially less typing, since that is the worst. 
> 
> BUT I haven´t written anything for a MONTH and this chapter was almost finished anyway! I´ll be on hiatus anyway, at least for another month. But think of all the good stuff I will write once I´m without pain anymore and had a lot of time to think about fun future stories! 
> 
> Anyway, I had a plan of writing three chapters for this story, idk if it will be maybe four. Or maybe the next chapter will just be super long, I´ll have to see. 
> 
> See you next time (hopefully as soon as possible)!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for a bit of violence (NOT in form of domestic abuse!) and for some sexy times. Honestly, I had a plan for this story and it included that it will be short (haha) but whatever. I changed everything I thought of before and now it has to be longer, but that´s nothing to complain about, eh?
> 
> Have fun!

_And I´m done with my graceless heart_

_So tonight I´m gonna cut it out and then restart_

_Cause I like to keep my issues drawn_

_It´s always darkest before the dawn_

Shake it out – Florence and the Machine

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

At first Chichi felt slightly bad. She noticed Bra´s foul mood and the fact that she just didn´t say anything to not hurt Chichi´s feelings. That alone made Chichi feel special, someone was going out of their way just to be considerate of her feelings. Or maybe Bra just didn´t want to see her crying again. After a few days though Chichi decided that she didn´t care. There were some snide remarks, but the only thing Chichi actually did was putting her dishes in the dishwasher. Bra probably thought she was a parasite, some lazy old woman living off her money and doing nothing to deserve the space she took. It didn´t matter. For the first time in her life Chichi didn´t have any duties and obligations. She didn´t have to cook, to clean, to take care of a household, of a garden, of children, of anything. If Bra wanted her out, she would say so, that was for sure. So she would just… enjoy. Read, watch TV, Bra always brought something to eat in the evening, Chichi just had to prepare a little bit for herself. And the couch was so comfy.

 

It took four days for Chichi to feel the need to leave the house again. She needed to stretch her legs and there wasn´t that much food left in the fridge. And she couldn´t deny that she felt somewhat curious about Southeast City. She had never been there, only started visiting when she had been over to… see Bra. The city was huge, and Chichi had never liked overcrowded city centers, but the district where Bra lived was far enough away from that to still have a lot of shops without the masses of people. Chichi just strolled through the streets, buying some groceries, looking at all the small cafés and boutiques. Southeast City was tropical and it showed. Shop fronts were open, some owners were sitting in front of them, reading newspapers and occasionally checking out if some customer was coming along. It was nice. It had something of a tiny village inside this huge town. Feeling adventurous, Chichi sat down in a corner bistro, right at the street. Everyone was dressed so differently from what she knew and everyone was so busy but so casual at the same time. She just wanted to watch for a bit. And eat something she didn´t have to prepare for herself. How decadent.

 

A few more days went by until Chichi knew the lady who had the small café just over the street with wonderful tea and the most delicious tiny cakes. She also had tried five different bistros and figured out which ones were worth visiting again. She had bought something lighter to wear, with short sleeves and leggings underneath and even a pair of open sandals. It was just then that she realized what it had been that had dragged her down so much. She had felt old. Nothing had been happening anymore, every day the same, nothing to look forward to and now… now it felt like the Dragonballs had granted her a wish to feel alive again. She grinned and walked a bit faster, enjoying the burn of the sun on her skin and the lightness in her bones. When she walked past a hairdresser she had an even better idea. Time to have some fun again.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Not even two weeks. Not even two weeks since Chichi´s hostile takeover and Bra felt like someone had drenched all energy out of her. It wasn´t as if Bra couldn´t understand Chichi´s need to relive her twenties or whatever it was she was doing, but it was annoying Bra to no end. Her own home was starting to change and the privacy and quiet she enjoyed so much… she couldn´t ignore Chichi. Every day when Bra came home from work Chichi was sitting on the couch, watching TV. Or reading. Or eating. Bra dreaded the day Chichi would figure out how to properly use a computer. She was always _there._ And although Bra enjoyed work, loved it, cherished it, defined herself by it, she didn´t want to spend all her time at the company.

 

She was ready to throw the towel when she came home and noticed that her shelf looked different. One of her vases was moved onto another shelf. Arranged neatly, never mind that, but the former place was occupied by a shrine. She took a deep breath and approached the couch. Chichi immediately sat up when she heard her and Bra took a step back in surprise.

 

“Bra, I hope you don´t mind but I didn´t feel good without my house shrine. I guess you´re not honoring your ancestors since I didn´t see anything here so I brought my own.”

 

“Ah. It´s fine. You… you look different.”

 

Chichi chuckled softly, one hand gliding through her open hair. “I look twenty years younger like that. And since I feel twenty years younger as well, I thought I should give it a try.”

 

Chichi had always had black hair, but she was also the last person Bra would´ve thought of to try get it back after it had turned grey. “Looks good.” She looked away, at the food in her hand. Seafood. Her favourite. They had had crabs today. Focus on that.

 

“I´ve got crabs.”

 

“Sounds great!” And with that Chichi fell back on the couch. Waiting for Bra to bring her a plate. She rubbed her eyes with one hand and slowly moved over to the kitchen. When had she become so utterly defenseless?

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

“Are you sure this is okay, grandma?”

 

Chichi huffed while she put her shoes away, gesturing at Pan to come in. “Yes, don´t worry so much! I live here as well, I can bring someone over if I want to. Especially you!”

 

Pan didn´t look quite as convinced, but she didn’t try to argue anymore.

 

“You and Bra used to get along so well, why should it bother her if you come to visit me?”

 

Pan looked around the apartment, everything was neat and clean, almost sterile. Except for the little altar next to the couch. “You know grandma, we were five when we got along. That´s some time ago.”

 

“Now come on, let´s get the food ready, I extra waited for you to watch the new season!”

 

There was not much to add. Pan smiled reluctantly, but after they had searched through the whole kitchen until they found everything they needed and got comfortable on the huge couch her scruples had disappeared. Though she tensed right up when the door opened a few hours later and Bra came home.

 

“Hey Chichi, got some chili today, it´s a new place so give me a proper review!” She stopped dead in her track when she came around the corner. Chichi waved and Pan tried to sit straight and not feel guilty. Her grandma was living there as well anyway.

 

“Bra, Pan is here, we already had something. But I´ll try it tomorrow.” She turned back to the TV, leaving Bra dumbfounded with a bag in her hand.

 

“Ah. Okay. Pan.” She nodded shortly before she left without another word. Obviously not bothered by it at all.

 

“Grandma, are you sure she doesn´t mind?”

 

Chichi looked at her, annoyed. Pan didn’t mention it again.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Bra threw the bag on her desk and flopped down on her chaise lounge. She bit her lip, fingering for her phone in her handbag. It was just… not enough that Chichi was invading every spot of her home, now she brought more freaking people! Pan! Bra couldn´t even recall when she had seen her last, and that was a good thing. Pretentious, stupid, stuck up…

 

“Hi Bra.”

 

“Hey Trunks. Is… are you busy?”

 

“Not really, just wanted to watch some TV with Anu… did something happen?”

 

Bra hesitated for a second. It was quite a story after all. “Chichi is living with me now.”

 

“I know, Goten told me. He was very confused about this turn of events and even speculated it had something to do with your little affair. Did it?”

 

“Of course not! Hope that stupid dick told you that he is also an absolute underperformer in bed! God.”

 

There was a long pause.

 

“Bra?”

 

“Yeah I´m still here. Listen, I need to get rid of her and I don´t know how. I need your help.”

 

“Ehm, why don´t you buy her an apartment?”

 

Bra sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Already tried that. She didn´t want to.”

 

“Why is she even there in the first place? I mean, Goten said she said you two were friends, and sorry but I can´t imagine how that happened.”

 

“We fucked. That´s what happened.”

 

Another long pause. Bra looked at her food absentmindedly. She started to get hungry.

 

“I didn´t expect that.”

 

“Well I didn´t either. It´s not something serious, just sex, but we had a fight nonetheless since Chichi was always fretting about someone might find out and what they would think blabla…”

 

“That´s not an unfounded concern, Bra. She´s married.”

 

“Yeah, and it´s not as if anyone DID find out, right? I don’t know, she got in an existential crisis and wants to leave Goku and do shit for herself.”

 

She heard Trunks sigh on the other end of the line. Some muffled screams of children in the background. Trunks would be occupied soon.

 

“I can´t kick her out. She was crying on my shoulder, _my_ shoulder for fuck´s sake! If I kick her out she´ll do it again and I can´t bear that, I can´t! I´m totally down for her being happy, I just… I want my apartment back.”

 

“And what are you doing right now? Have you maybe told her that?”

 

“Well no, obviously not! Did you even listen to me?”

 

“Bra, people cry sometimes when they´re distressed. That doesn´t mean you can´t set up some rules for your own home. If you can´t get her to leave.”

 

“Hm.”

 

“I mean, if you don´t enjoy wallowing in self pity too much.”

 

“Fuck you!”

 

“Oh, my children are getting nervous, they need attention. Is there something else you want to talk about?”

 

“My undying hatred of you. But we can reschedule that.”

 

Trunks laughed heartily on the other end, making Bra smile involuntarily. It wasn´t exactly what she wanted to hear. Not that she hadn´t known that there was no easy way to solve her problem.

 

“Okay, hug your kids from me. And… thanks.”

 

“Sure, Bra.”

 

She hung up, letting her phone slip through her fingers on the floor. She closed her eyes for a second before she got up, grabbed her stuff and stormed out of her office. Pan and Chichi both looked up in surprise.

 

“I´m going out.” Bra eyed the mess on the table and then the ones that caused it.

 

Chichi raised an eyebrow. “We´re going to clean that up.”

 

“Good.” The sound of the door closing made Bra feel lighter around her heart. Something she had missed in weeks.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Three and a half hours later she had watched a movie, eaten something in a restaurant while reading a book she just bought and just mindlessly walked the way back home instead of driving. The night felt like lukewarm water and was just meant for it. Pan was still there when she came back, chatting and laughing with Chichi while they were rummaging in the kitchen. They looked up when Bra came in, instantly quieting down. Bra resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It wasn´t as if she was the devil.

 

It didn´t take them long to get back to their discussion about some TV series or something. Bra didn´t care, she lighted a cigarette while she waited for her coffee. “Fucking…” The machine made some gurgling sounds and started beeping. “Stupid thing!” She started disassembling it, only noticing after a while that she was being watched.

 

“What? Piece of shit cost a fortune and can´t even work properly two times in a row!”

 

“Is it out of guarantee?”

 

Bra gave her a long side glance. “No, but I had someone over already and they said that it´s nothing. It´s just crap!” She banged her hand against it and the gurgling sound stopped.

 

“Yeah, expensive stuff is not always the best, eh?”

 

“Pan, do you want to say something? You´re pretty rich yourself, don´t sound so condescending.” She blew the smoke out through her nose, her eyes narrowed.

 

“That wasn´t my intention. I just had the same problem with my washing machine. Y´know, you should think if you pay ten times as much you get ten times the quality but not even close!”

 

Bra instantly felt the tension drain from her body. She offered Pan a cigarette who took it graciously and talked a bit about stupid household appliances. None of them noticed Chichi standing on the counter and watching them with a tiny smile on her lips.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Chichi didn´t know what happened but somehow Bra tried to be more amiable. Asked her how her day was, what shops she had discovered, what books she was reading. Chichi didn´t mind it at all but it made her wonder why Bra hadn´t done it before. Maybe she had accepted Chichi as a part of her life? It wasn´t… it made Chichi feel queasy. She didn´t want Bra to get the wrong idea. Perhaps she had not made it clear that she wanted it to be temporary and that she didn´t want a relationship with her. Maybe it had to do with Pan´s visit… Bra had been so angry at first, seeing them get along after all was so nice, just like years ago when they were still kids. But it didn´t mean Chichi wanted to introduce Bra to her family. That way. Maybe she worried too much.

 

Maybe… Maybe she should pay more attention as well. She hadn´t bothered asking Bra any questions since she had went through the apartment and Bra was always so closed off and private. Though hadn´t it been her idea when she had coffee that fateful day? To talk more? Get to know each other?

 

She noticed that Bra was doing insane stretches at least once a day. Maybe she could start with that.

 

“Why are you doing this?”

 

Bra looked up from her handstand, one foot on the floor behind her and one in the air. The girl had no spine, that´s for sure.

 

“What? What did I do?”

 

“Why are you doing your bending exercises? You could’ve told me that sooner!” She laughed but it was forced the moment she realized that they hadn´t exactly had much sex lately.

 

Bra untangled herself until she stood straight again. “Well, if I don´t practice I get out of shape. It´s for fun, Chichi. I used to do rhythmic gymnastics when I was younger. Wasn’t good enough though, for competitions.” She shrugged, hands on her hips. Casual but not sure if she should feel threatened. That was what was going on lately, all the time. Chichi was sick of it.

 

“Ah, thought all of you Saiyans and partial Saiyans would be good at sports, eh? What about martial arts? You still do it?”

 

Bra´s eyes tightened. “I never really practiced it. Just some basics, dad insisted. Why do you ask?”

 

“Oh, I am actually a master of the turtle style. Haven´t seriously practiced in years, but always enough to keep in shape. You wanna spar?”

 

Bra looked around her living room. It was spacious enough, for sure. Chichi grinned, nodding encouragingly, hoping to get her to say yes.

 

“I… really don´t think it´s a good idea. I don´t fight and I could accidentally punch you to hard.”

 

“You´d got to get me first. You on?”

 

Bra sighed, straightened her shirt and got in a lousy position. She was right though, Chichi should watch out for random hits. Bra might not be a fighter, but Chichi knew all her lean muscles by heart. She didn´t waste any time and attacked Bra right away. Bra managed to get out of the way of a high kick to the temple and threw a sloppy punch that Chichi countered with a punch to the gut that did connect perfectly. Bra gasped, it wasn´t strong enough to make her throw up but it definitely was enough to blow the air out of her lungs. Chichi didn´t hesitate and landed a nice punch on Bra´s cheek and ended it with a roundhouse kick.

 

“Come on now, was that the best you´ve got?” Chichi felt her blood run through her body, perfectly glowing with excitement. Only a good fight managed to do that and it had been way too long since Chichi last felt it. Bra struggled to her feet, shaking her head and looking worse for wear. But she wasn’t bleeding, so it couldn´t be too bad. Chichi went in for round two but Bra through her hands up.

 

“Wait! Wait, it´s enough! I can´t do it and that hurt like a bitch! No more, okay?”

 

Chichi stopped, eyeing her suspiciously. Not what she had expected. But maybe… “Okay. I won´t punch you again.” Punching wasn´t wrestling and a second later she had her thighs wrapped around Bra´s neck while she stretched her arm out. Bra was grunting, trying to wriggle free and after a few seconds Chichi let her. She pushed Bra on her back and straddled her, holding her arms while she bent down for a kiss. Bra wasn´t participating as much as Chichi had expected, but then it had been a while. She moved away, grinning wildly. It took her a second to realize the look on Bra´s face.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Bra huffed, trying to get her arms free. Chichi let go of her immediately.

 

“Y´know, like everyone I´m not so much into getting forced into intimacy.”

 

“Sorry. I misinterpreted the situation. You always liked…” Chichi waved her hand vaguely around.

 

“You never punched me. And it hurt, old lady! Seriously.” Bra looked to the side, her brows furrowed. When she looked back up, she gestured Chichi to bow down. That kiss went much better. Bra tugged on the belt around Chichi´s dress, until Chichi stopped the kiss and removed it herself.

 

Bra was smiling at her frantic fumbling.

 

“See? This is much better.”

 

Maybe they just needed a nice, slow fuck to settle everything. At least it felt like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prognosis of the future: At least one more chapter, maybe two. Probably two. The story is plotted and all, but I´m not so good at estimating the word count for what I have in mind, haha. Anyway, hope you had fun and see you next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware of aaaaall the fluff! Also: Goku comes back.
> 
> Have fun!

_I´ve fallen out of favor and I´ve fallen from grace_

_Fallen out of trees and I´ve fallen on my face_

_Fallen out of taxis, out of windows too_

_Fell in your opinion when I fell in love with you_

Falling  – Florence and the Machine

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Something had changed. It should´ve felt like getting back in the old rhythm but nothing could´ve been further away from it. Bra couldn´t deny that she enjoyed having sex again, but… it felt different from before. The easy fun was gone. Everything felt like a commitment. And the worst was that Bra didn´t even mind.

 

“Why don´t you stay?”

 

Chichi looked at her, her black hair spread out over the pillow like a halo. Bra didn´t want to, she wanted to get back to her own bed, not… she never slept with her lovers. She liked her privacy. “I can´t sleep with someone next to me.”

 

Chichi sighed and rolled over, looking at the ceiling. She raised her hand over her head, playing with the loose hair. She wasn´t even wearing her bra, not trying to hide it anymore. It had been such a fun game between them and in the end it had been so unspectacular. Bra took a drag of her cigarette, trying to get herself to move. Just… a little bit longer.

 

“What do you think we are?”

 

Bra shot her a short glance. Not what she wanted to talk about right now.

 

“I mean, we get along, don´t we? And this…” Chichi waved her hand around. “Is fun, right? So what does that make us?”

 

Bra put her cigarette away, turning around to properly face Chichi. “Listen, I understand your need to feel validated. I´m not mad. You don´t have to try and read more into it than there actually is.” Bra shrugged and Chichi looked at her for a while.

 

“Is that what you think?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Chichi turned around  and kept quiet. Bra left a few seconds later.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

It became so common that her absence felt like a rift in Bra´s daily routine. Chichi not being at home when Bra came from work wasn´t unusual, but they had made plans for dinner, which felt heavy in Bra´s hand. She checked her phone and there it was, a text message she had missed.

 

_I´ve got a family emergency. Don´t wait for me._

Bra bit her lip, contemplating if she should investigate or not. After a few seconds she texted her brother, _Is everything alright with everyone?_ and waited anxiously for a reply. She didn´t like it, vague messages, being worried. That wasn´t her.

 

_No everyone fine Goku is back is that what you meant?_

So that was it. Bra said yes, grabbed the bag and prepared her dinner. Chichi would move out soon. Talk things over with her husband, probably involving a lot of screaming and violence and then she would grab her stuff and that was it. It was probably for the better anyway. When Bra was done she went over to the couch, trying to watch some TV. She looked absentmindedly over to the altar. That stupid thing, she had hated it when Chichi brought it with her. But now… thinking how it would be gone soon… she had gotten used to it. But her living room would look better without it for sure. Huffing, Bra got her focus back on the show she was watching.  

 

She woke up when she heard the click of the front door. Confused, Bra rubbed over her eyes, trying to figure out how late it was and who was making that noise. 10 AM. Slow steps, so quiet. They stopped in front of her bedroom door. Bra watched as someone opened it quietly and Chichi peered inside.

 

“I´m awake.” She was, but she didn´t move. She was tired and Chichi could say what she had to either way. But she didn´t. She walked over to Bra, looking tired as well, tired and exhausted and… old. She wordlessly dropped her dress and got into bed with Bra. The room was dark and cool and it didn´t take long for them to fall back asleep.

 

Two hours later Bra was awake again. She wanted to get up but didn’t want to wake Chichi. Something must´ve happened. Bra couldn´t imagine why Chichi came back, but maybe she was just emotionally drained from a huge fight and needed a time out. Understandably.

 

Another half hour later Bra finally climbed out of bed as quietly as possible and made herself some breakfast. When she got out of the bathroom even later, drying her hair she saw Chichi sitting on the couch. So she was up.

 

“Good morning. Heard your husband is back. Are you okay?”

 

Chichi looked up, a tense smile on her lips. “Bra, can we talk?”

 

Bra dropped the towel and sat down. She didn´t like the tone, it sounded like she would be reprimanded. Raising an eyebrow, she gestured for Chichi to talk.

 

“I never wanted to use you to get over a midlife crisis or whatever.” She paused, all defensive. “And I´m sorry that I made you think that was it. I… I was unsure of what to do, after… you know. But I made up my mind. I talked to Goku and it´s over. He understood, well, as good as one can and…”

 

She paused again. Bra wasn´t sure where she was going with it and it irritated her. So she broke up with Goku? Did that mean she would stay? With her? Bra wasn´t sure if the tight feeling in her chest was dread or…

 

“I´d like to stay with you. If you want to.”

 

…happiness.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

He hadn´t said a word about it.

 

“Is that all?”

 

“No, another one at least.” Goku didn´t look much different from when she had last seen him, but then again they never look any different, he, her dad, always the same.

 

“Aren´t you even mad at me?”

 

Goku lowered his hand from his forehead, his face expressionless.

 

“I figured Chichi makes her own decisions. At least that´s what she did as long as I´ve known her. Or did that change?”

 

Piece of shit. “You know what I mean. Aren´t men always treating their women as property?”

 

He huffed and it sounded so wrong from him. “I won´t deny that I´m not happy about it but it´s her life and if that is the decision she made and is happy with, then who am I to say anything against it, eh?” He lifted his hand again. “Doesn´t mean that I have to like you.”

 

He was gone before she could tell him to fuck himself.

 

He stayed over for dinner, later that day. Bra felt like a school kid again, having dinner with her parents. Or something like that. They were chatting about their family, things Bra didn´t know anything about and didn´t want to have to listen to as well. She jumped up when they had barely finished eating, asking if anyone wanted coffee or tea. They continued their conversation as if Bra wasn´t even there while she went to the kitchen and tried to figure out how to make hot water with her stupid coffee machine. She knew it was possible… and where had she put the tea pot, hadn´t used it in a while and… Bra inhaled, deeply. She didn´t know how it had all ended like this. That there had been no way to prevent it. To…

 

_Goku didn´t immediately leave when he brought the last carton with Chichi´s stuff. Bra didn´t know Goku very well, most of it were stories her brother and Goten had told her, but she knew he wasn´t a mean person. She hoped._

_“Guess we´re gonna see each other whenever there´s something with the family.” He grinned, but it didn´t look nice._

_“_ _I guess.”_

_“Chichi always puts family first and won´t miss any important occasions. Me neither.”_

_“Ah.”_

_“You know, Bra, Vegeta and me, we do spend time together occasionally. He´s not much of a talker. But when he does, he likes to talk about you.”_

_“Is that so?”_

_“And he told me how you like to stay by yourself and barely ever show your face…”_

_“I call a lot.”_

_“I´m just saying.”_

And then he disappeared, just to come back with Chichi for dinner. Pretending as if he hadn´t low-key tried to sabotage their… whatever. Bra had found the teapot and the button for hot water. Who did he even think he…

 

“Bye Bra!”

 

She turned around in time to see Goku disappear again. The tea was ready. She brought it over nonetheless, her thoughts swirling. She could deal with family business if she had to, there couldn´t be too much anyway. She didn´t know if Pan was dating, but there wouldn´t be a wedding anytime soon anyway and Goten did have two kids, but they spent half their time with their mother, but maybe birthdays, though with holidays, what did they celebrate besides new year? Was there anything else, she had to ask Chichi, maybe buy some clothes for the occasion, did she need a new kimono?

 

“Bra?”

 

She looked up, startled. “Yes?”

 

“Are you okay? I´m sorry that it went all so fast, I… I should´ve…”

 

“Are we a couple now?” It sounded so lame. Like a teenager. But Bra needed an answer before she went crazy!

 

Chichi fidgeted with her cup and finally put it down. “I don´t know. Do you want to?” She looked so vulnerable and unsure of herself, so unlike her that it made Bra uneasy.

 

 _Yes. Yes we are._ It just took her a while to realize it.

 

“Yes. I want to.”

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

“And then her ex came over, you know, she looked like hell froze over but he was so _nice!_ ” Chichi chuckled while she shoved some more noodles into her mouth. “How was work?”

 

Bra looked up, dumbfounded. It was nice, listening to stories about all the shop owners in the area, knowing that Chichi had something to do, wasn´t bored… but she didn´t want her to ask about Bra´s day just because… that´s what couples would do. She shrugged. “It´s not interesting, you don´t have to ask.”

 

“I want to know. I don´t even really know what you are doing, so… enlighten me.” She looked so sincere. Bra swallowed, trying to think what she had even done the whole day. It was weird, having small talk, just like that. She had never done it, not with her family, she didn´t have any friends, especially not with past lovers. “Today was okay, I guess. A lot of meetings.” She checked, but Chichi just continued eating and smiled at her when she noticed that Bra was looking at her. She could try. It wasn´t so bad.

 

“Hey. Are you alright?” It was later in the evening, and Chichi was lying on her arm after they had made out. Bra wanted to smoke but she had forgotten her cigarettes in the living room and she was too lazy to get up.

 

“Sure. Why do you ask?”

 

Chichi snuggled a bit closer, playing with Bra´s long hair. “Because you look so uncomfortable all the time. Ever since… I moved in, actually.”

 

So that was it. “Wasn´t my intention. I´m just… I have to adjust to all this. I never had a relationship.”

 

“Not even in your teens?” Chichi looked up, seriously shocked.

 

“Didn´t you marry Goku when you were 16 or something?”

 

“I was 18 and that doesn´t matter! What… what if you want a family? You shouldn´t waste your time with me! You´re still young, you can marry and have kids…”

 

Bra rolled her eyes, wanting the cigarettes more than ever. And more inclined to get up as well. “I never wanted to marry and I especially don´t want children. My nieces are more than enough. And I can give them back when they annoy me. Stop pouting, for god´s sake!”

 

“I´m not pouting! I´m just…”

 

“Do you really want any more children? You have grandkids already!”

 

That shut her up quickly. Smirking, Bra pressed her a bit closer, enjoying the warmth from her body.

 

“I… thought you would like to have children with someone you love.”

 

Bra´s eyes widened, realizing what she had just said. Without even thinking. Without even doubting it for a second.

 

“Not with me, of course.”

 

“Stop that.” Bra turned around, hugging Chichi and putting her cheek on Chichi´s head. “You are here, with me, right? What´s all this anxiety bullshit, aren´t you the one full of opinions and the will to defend them?”

 

“… but you…”

 

Bra shoved her away, making sure she could look her in the eyes. “Listen closely, I never wanted relationships, that´s not my thing. But I´m with you. I didn´t even think twice when you asked me to stay. What else do you want? I don´t want children, not with you or anyone, but we can adopt some pets.” Bra pressed her lips together. “I could ask mum to collect the dragonballs. Wish for you to be my age. Would that make things easier?”

 

Chichi was stunned for a second before she burst out laughing. It was irritating and somewhat hurtful. “What? Why are you laughing? Chichi!”

 

“Have you ever thought of wishing that for your mum? Instead of me?” She continued laughing while Bra felt all the blood rush to her face. She immediately got up, stomped over to the living room and lit a cigarette. It calmed her down. Chichi slowly walked out of the bedroom, still giggling.

 

“I would rather stay my age. I´m long done with being thirty. But thanks for asking.” Bra stared daggers at her, her heart beating way to fast. Chichi smiled, mischievously. “ _I love you, too.”_

“Just fuck yourself!”

 

When Bra walked back to the bedroom, Chichi was still lying there. Sleepy. Didn´t look as if she wanted to move.

 

“I don´t believe you can´t sleep with anyone next to you. I think you have trust issues, that´s all.” Chichi waved her hand noncommittally.

 

“Chichi… don´t make fun of me. I don´t have to be considerate, you know?”

 

“Then don´t.” Chichi didn´t sound sleepy anymore. At all. “And if you have, then stop. Just because I went through some difficult stuff doesn´t mean…”

 

“Okay. Whatever. I have to get up at six, I want to sleep now.”

 

Chichi got up and stormed out of the room, even slamming the door. If that wasn´t a rollercoaster of shit happening. Sighing, Bra tried to sleep but failed spectacularly.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Bra didn’t text, she didn´t come home when she always did… Chichi felt her annoyance rise to new levels. She would´ve preferred if Bra wouldn´t act like a teenager, especially since it was all her fault that Chichi got angry. Half an hour later Chichi went out to get some dinner, since it didn´t look as if she could expect company. When she got back, she already heard the loud music from the hallway. Some weird jazz, she hated it. Bra was sitting on the couch and looking something up on her laptop, pretending as if she hadn´t heard Chichi enter. Huffing, Chichi walked over and turned off the music.

 

“I got dinner since you weren´t here.”

 

“Guess I had to stay longer.” Bra didn´t even look up. She did react when Chichi threw the remote at her though. “Stop that, it´s childish.”

 

“Oh, _I_ am the one who’s childish? I am legitimately angry and all you do is avoid talking to me! Or what?”

 

Bra closed her laptop and finally looked up, stony faced. “What are you even angry about? That I tried to be nice to you and not upset you?”

 

“Why did you even think you should do that?” She had raised her voice and no intention of lowering it again. That´s what Bra would get for thinking she was so _sensitive_. “Because I don´t appreciate it, Bra, I´m not grateful that you kept my feelings in mind when you were obviously lying into my face!” Bra looked dumbfounded. Good. “I thought you actually wanted this to be something good, but if you only tolerate me out of pity I will gladly leave immediately!”

 

“That´s not… what I did.”

 

“But that´s what it sounded like!” Chichi wanted to punch something and it took a lot out of her not to. It was exactly what she was afraid would happen. That Bra never really wanted her around, only tolerated her, only… she huffed, her thoughts swirling around her talk with Goku. He hadn´t been mad when she told him that she wanted to break up, but he had been pretty vocal when he heard who she wanted to spend time with. All those stories about how Vegeta told him that Bra was so cold and calculating and that she didn´t like people and what exactly Chichi could´ve done to _make_ Bra like her and if she was sure that there were actual feelings involved and not… something else. How he never for a second thought that maybe she took advantage of Bra. Maybe he hadn´t been all that wrong. Maybe she… she should´ve thought it over. But it had been nice. For a short time, it had been really nice.

 

“You haven´t seen yourself crying! It freaked me out, okay? I don´t want to be the one making you feel like that! I´ve been a little bit nicer than I usually would, but I never lied to you! I thought you were in a difficult situation and what good would it do if I was constantly reprimanding you of putting the fucking dishes away!”

 

“This is not about the dishes, Bra. Did you just tell me you want to be with me because you thought I´d get hysterical if you don´t?”

 

Bra got up, shaking her head. “Do you really think I would do something like that?”

 

Chichi pressed her lips together. She didn´t know anything. “I don´t know you that well. It´s not as if you would open up about anything.”

 

“Okay.” She looked away, over the table, the the carpet. To the altar. Before her gaze wandered back to Chichi´s face. “Listen, I know you can twist around anything I say, but I promise you, I didn´t pretend to want to be in this relationship. The fact that I even considered it alone was more than I ever thought I would do. I´m not… I´m not used to big feelings and declarations of love.” She gestured at Chichi. “Or crying. You are constantly in my hair about being so old and that I could do better and I do my best to help you adjust to it. Maybe… I could expect the same.”

 

Chichi scratched her forearm. This wasn´t what she wanted to hear. So many compromises. She pressed her hands on her eyes, groaning. “You know what, how about you just treat me like a normal person. That´s what I liked about you, back then when you asked me for a fuck in my own house. I don´t want you to be so… so reluctant! I can… I can get used to you being introverted, but stop being afraid of what I might do. I know I tend to let my emotions run wild and I will not stop that, because that´s who I am. But just because I´m crying doesn´t mean you did something wrong.”

 

“I didn´t know what to do.” Bra crossed her arms, looking away.

 

“You don´t have to do anything. It´s not that hard.” Chichi walked over to her, tugging on her arm until Bra let loose. It would´ve been easier if any of them had any experience dealing with this kind of thing. But then again… they could still learn.

 

“I want to stay here. With you. Do you want that? Because now is the time to say the truth and I will not hold it against you.”

 

Bra smiled weakly, finally looking at her again. “You are a stupid bitch, you know that? Do you think I would´ve told you to stay when you asked me two weeks ago if I didn´t want to?” Chichi smiled and leaned in for a kiss. A very tiny, very intimate kiss. “Just a good thing you didn´t ask me that when you came here first because I really wanted you out.” It was barely a whisper against Chichi´s lips.

 

“Good thing I decided to ignore it. I always had a lot of common sense.”

 

Bra grinned wider, she felt Bra´s lips brush against hers when Bra moved. “You are so awful. I can appreciate that.”

 

They kissed some more, slow and deep, until they fell asleep on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more to go! And on this occasion I want to thank everyone who somehow showed me that they like the story, reviewers, kudos, bookmarks, all of it! This story is very dear to me and I absolutely expected no one to read it. So every tiny bit of appreciation is very well received. THANK YOU ALL!
> 
> See you next time for the finale!


	5. Chapter 5

_Say my name_  
As every color illuminates  
We are shining  
And we will never be afraid again

 

Spectrum  – Florence and the Machine

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

“What about… what about all that fantasy stuff?”

 

Bra huffed, taking another drag of her cigarette. It was a nice, slow evening, the sun was almost gone and the city lights were bright enough to illuminate the terrace. Chichi was cuddling against her, something Bra hadn´t anticipated… ever.

 

“I don´t know, I just like it. It´s pretty.” Bra shrugged. “And your smut novels?”

 

Chichi laughed, it vibrated through Bra´s body. “Ah, that. I´m still embarrassed that you found them. Though you should be embarrassed that you even snooped around!”

 

“I am, I am.” Bra giggled, putting away her finished cigarette and fishing another one out of the pack.

 

“Okay, I had a subscription for romance novels. I always liked them and one day they sent me a sample of something a bit more spicy and well… I found out I like them as well. Not a very good story, I guess. What about your porcelain figures?”

 

The smoke was billowing around them. Bra waved her hand to dissipate it. “Was at an exhibition, saw them, liked them, bought them. Hm, what about…”

 

Chichi looked up, her hand pressing against Bra´s shoulder. “And the paintings? Are they something special?”

 

“Nah, just for interior design.”

 

Bra shoved Chichi lightly when she heard her mumbling ‘I knew it’. It was fun, figuring out each other. It took no effort at all, and somehow… somehow that was irritating. But Bra found out that that kind of irritation was very easy to ignore.

 

“Bra, I´d like to tell my family. Do you want to tell yours as well? I mean… now that we made up our minds.”

 

“Sure. I don´t care. Want me to come with you?”

 

“No. Rather not.”

 

Just as well, Bra really didn´t want to face the wrath of the Son family. When she would see them eventually for some family event they would all have cooled down, probably.

 

A week later she was sitting in her parents living room, grateful that her nieces were gone off with their nanny and that they took their little baby brother with them. She liked them all, but the bawling was hard to tolerate for longer than five minutes.

 

“I´ve got news. I´m seeing Chichi.” She got some blank stares from everyone except Trunks. Bastard.

 

“You mean… what do you mean?” Bulma looked at her suspiciously.

 

“I mean we´re in a relationship. A romantic one.”

 

Anu congratulated her, but her parents stayed awfully quiet.

 

“So Chichi and Goku are done? Bra, what did you do?” Bulma leaned forward, trying to pull out her mum side. It had never been very effective.

 

“I didn´t do anything! That had been doomed long before I was even in the picture. Could you at least pretend to be happy for me? And dad, I swear if you mock Goku-san about this you won´t like it!”

 

Vegeta grinned, leaning back on the couch. “We don’t talk anyway.”

 

“Yeah, why did he tell me then that you told him about me?”

 

“You did? That´s so sweet!” Bulma nudged his shoulder, multiple times, while a faint red shimmer appeared on Vegeta´s cheeks.

 

“You see who´s the favourite here, Anu? That´s how I get treated all the time!”

 

“It weren´t nice things he said, Trunks, don´t be jealous.” Bra smiled while they mercilessly made fun of Vegeta for a while longer. So that had gone well.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Chichi looked very tired when she came back from Satan City. She barely pulled off her shoes before she fell down on the couch, sighing. Bra came out of her office, slightly concerned. Obviously the family meeting hadn´t gone over too well. Bra hadn´t really expected that would happen, since her family had been so overwhelmingly okay with it.

 

“Everything alright?”

 

“No. Goten threw a fit, Gohan looked horribly hurt all the time and Pan kept asking me if you were making me stay with you.”

 

Not well at all. Bra dropped her glasses and went over to the couch, sitting down. “Well everyone was okay with it when I told them, although my mum accused me of having… seduced you. I seem to have a really bad image.”

 

“Especially funny since Pan had pestered me that you obviously don´t want me to stay here a few weeks ago. At least Videl was happy for me.”

 

“And now?”

 

Chichi rubbed her eyes. “It´s okay now. Would´ve preferred if they hadn´t felt personally victimized by it, but I think they understand. I mean, they knew I broke up with Goku, and I think it´s really hypocritical that now they tell me that I should stick to someone my age! Says my son who has two children and isn´t even married!”

 

“Did I mention he wanted to have sex with me at your house?”

 

Chichi eyed her, a small smile tugging on her lips. “I heard you having sex, you don´t have to be vague.”

 

How embarrassing… “Anyway, I can talk to him. Nicely. If you want to.”

 

“No it´s fine. They are my children and I guess when you show up a few times they get used to it.”

 

“It´s not as if I´m a total stranger…” Her respect for every single one of them immediately dropped. Her brother had been totally okay with it!

 

“Come on Bra, don´t be mad. I´m not in the mood.”

 

Come to think of it… “Hey Chichi, you wanna make it really official? I mean, I am occasionally in the news when someone thinks I have been wearing something really ugly and you are a little bit famous as well, being the grandmother of the granddaughter of Mr Satan…”

 

“If you call that famous…” Chichi waved, her eyes already half lidded.

 

“There´s a fundraiser I`m attending next weekend, you could come with me. That way everyone would know we are dating and your sons would see that it is actually something serious.”

 

Chichi eyed her for a long time. She finally licked her lips and looked away, her eyes moving frantically. “I… have to think about it. It´s a bit sudden.”

 

Bra smiled and nodded and went back to her office.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

“Please close your eyes.”

 

Chichi did as told, wondering why it needed so many people to get her ready for a gala. She was old, no amount of make-up artists was gonna change that!

 

“And now look up please.”

 

Though she was grateful that Bra took care of it. Maybe only one person would´ve been less intimidating, but Chichi thanked some heavenly deities nonetheless that she didn´t have to do her own make-up for… press photos! It was making her a bit nauseous. As was the amount of hairspray one of the ladies was spraying on Chichi´s hair. It wouldn´t move in a tornado, that´s for sure!

 

“How´s it looking, are we done yet?”

 

“Almost, Miss Bra.”

 

Chichi looked up and wondered how she looked like if the effect was just half as amazing as it was on Bra. She had her hair open, a massive amount of eyeliner highlighting how incredibly blue her eyes were and the dress, although closed from the neck down below the knees hugged her in a very complimenting way. A huge, blinking necklace and some equally huge, blinking rings finished it, probably more expensive than Bra´s whole flat. She was wearing sea green, so pretty… Chichi noticed the look on Bra´s face, instantly grinning. She definitely looked good if it made Bra´s gaze linger like that!

 

The ladies were done and removed the towel around her shoulders, put a brooch on her dress and that was it.

 

“Do you want a photo of your first gala event?” Bra smiled, but it wasn´t mocking.

 

“Is it worth it?”

 

“Eh.” Bra raised her eyebrow, but fished out her phone anyway. Dark blue velvet dress, long sleeved and fell on the floor. Chichi hadn´t felt comfortable wearing something sleeveless. At least not this time. They had put her hair in a bun and got an incredible amount of eyeliner as well. She just hoped it would stay where it was and not make her look like an old hag when it decided to wander into her wrinkles…

 

“Isn´t the brooch too expensive?”

 

“It doesn´t look good if there is nothing shiny on the dress. Do you intend to steal it? No? Then it´s safe.”

 

Chichi fretted the whole way to the gala, not being able to keep her hands still. It was even worse when they got out of the car, a billion cameras going off at once. Bra didn´t even pay it any attention, just stopping shortly to pose, give them a cool, calculating face and move on. Chichi smiled weakly, not knowing how to pose or present herself and tried to get away from the cameras as quickly as possible. No way anyone understood that they belonged together… Inside, Bra grabbed two glasses of champagne from a waiter and handed one to Chichi.

 

“Relax. Everyone will be very nice since they want my money.”

 

“Are you… do you do that often?”

 

Bra looked confused. “Fundraisers? Yes. I support a lot of charity groups and sports clubs and the like, a lot of them attend these things, I find new ones. Not the worst way to spend some money.”

 

“Ah.” She hadn´t actually thought about it, what to do if you have that much. Considering how rich Bulma was, the flat Bra owned was barely a scratch on the surface. It gave her a warm feeling, knowing that Bra wasn´t just using it all for her own, instead investing it for something good. Something worthwhile. Chatting with the other guests felt that much easier afterwards.

 

“Mum?”

 

Chichi turned around, spotting Gohan in the crowd. She hadn´t known he would be there, and she couldn´t even care all that much, after three glasses of champagne. She waved awkwardly and he came over.

 

“Mum, nice to see you, what are you doing here?”

 

Bra turned around the same time, eyeing Gohan excessively. Then she put her hand around Chichi´s waist, pulling her a bit closer.

 

“Hello Gohan. How´s the evening going, already found something worthwhile to invest in?”

 

Gohan looked at her, his eyes moving frantically. “Ehm, yes, a few. Hadn´t known… you would be here.”

 

“Is Videl here as well?” Chichi thought it would be better to get the attention back, before they both started to yell or do something embarrassing.

 

“No, no, she´s busy. So you came together? Are you having fun?”

 

“A lot.” Chichi grinned, feeling very proud of herself. “I´m glad my girlfriend looks so stunning tonight.”

 

Bra´s grip tightened for a second. It made her feel even more proud. Gohan eyed them both again, a few seconds.

 

“Both of you. Bra, are you coming to Tenri and Tenra´s birthday party? It´s in two weeks.”

 

Chichi looked at her encouragingly.

 

“Sure, thanks for asking. I haven´t actually met Goten´s sons yet. I´m… glad to meet them finally.”

 

Gohan smiled again and left.

 

“I think I´m accepted.”

 

“You better are or I´m gonna smack them both until they stop being stupid.” She was a bit tipsy. But she absolutely intended to do it. Bra giggled and tugged her to follow.

 

“Come on, some more cameras to pose in front of.”

 

“Oh, Bra, maybe kiss me? I mean, every time Pan has a new girlfriend they always make it look like they are friends, so… I just want to make sure the press gets it right.”

 

Bra´s eyes gleamed. It was all over the news for a whole week.

 

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Somehow, Bra wasn´t surprised when her brother called her. She wasn´t sad or angry. She was just... hearing the news. Accepting it. Thinking of everything that had to be done. So much to be done. The day dragged on endlessly before she could go home, leaving her exhausted and burned out.

 

“Bra, you came just in time, I tried something out today and didn´t know if I could keep it warm…” Chichi looked up, grinning, but stopped when she looked at Bra. “Are you alright?”

 

“Mum is dead.” Chichi instantly looked concerned, but Bra waved it away. “It´s okay, it went fast. I heard she told her lab workers that she was tired and wants to lie down and then she just died.”

 

“But… it´s your mother. Can I… can I do something for you?”

 

Bra waved her away again. “No. Trunks will take care of it, the funeral and the heritage and all that.” She closed her eyes, trying to focus. “I talked to dad, he… he is of course not happy, but nothing we can help with. I guess. Do you want to go to the funeral?”

 

Chichi threw the towel away, exasperated. “Of course! How can you even ask? And someone has to tell Goku, somehow, they were good friends…”

 

“There´ll be a lot of press.”

 

Chichi huffed, indicating that she didn´t care.

 

“Come on, let´s eat. You’re not cooking often, a shame to let it go cold.”

 

When they lay in bed, later that evening, Bra slowly caressed Chichi´s hair. It was still black, very expensive hair dye, and thick. Betraying something that came to Bra´s mind much more than usual. After their initial argument, Bra had never brought it up again. But it had been years…

 

“Chichi, we can still wish for you to be my age.”

 

Chichi opened one eye, closed it again. “No thanks. I don´t want to be forty. Forty was exhausting.”

 

“But you could stay with me longer.”

 

Chichi didn´t answer. Bra thought she was asleep until Chichi just snuggled her head deeper into the pillow. “I don´t want to. No matter what you say.”

 

She was quiet after that. Bra pressed her lips together, eyeing the ceiling. She wasn´t sad. She just… didn´t want to lose something good. Her mum hadn´t wanted it as well. And now she was gone. Sighing, she pressed Chichi a bit closer. She was already fast asleep.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

The funeral was already four days later. Chichi wasn´t sitting with Bra´s family, she didn´t want to. All cameras were on them and although she got used to it she still… didn´t want to be forced to display grief. Bra was standing on the other end of the room, talking to some people Chichi didn´t know.

 

“Thought there would be less people.”

 

Chichi looked up, raising an eyebrow when she saw Goku. “Wasn´t sure if you´d manage to put on a suit without me.”

 

Goku laughed, but it sounded forced. He sat down next to her, spreading his legs and slouching down. Chichi pushed against his knee but he didn´t bother. “Where´s Vegeta? Haven´t seen him in a while.”

 

“Don´t know. Doesn´t like cameras I suppose.”

 

Chichi looked over to Bra again, this time she was talking to some women. She was looking so good in her black dress with a black cape and shoes so high Chichi wondered how she managed to stand in them at all.

 

“When I die, I´ll insist on her looking at least that good.”

 

Goku eyed her, his leg twitching. “Are you not feeling well? I can fetch you a Senzu bean.” He sounded slightly alarmed which made Chichi want to laugh out loud.

 

“You do realize that I won´t live forever, right? Anyway, did you visit Bulma? How´s she doing?”

 

“I… you know you could…”

 

“No I don´t. Don´t even start. How´s Bulma doing?”

 

He looked away, his leg still twitching. “Why aren´t you bothered at all? I can still see Bulma, but you won´t. And when you die… I´m the only one who could visit you from time to time.”

 

“Nothing changed then, right? Just like always.”

 

He stared at her for a few seconds. “Vegeta showed up, gonna say hi.” He jumped up, barely able to move in human speed.

 

“Hey, how is Bulma doing?”

 

“Same as always I guess.”

 

Chichi huffed, fiddling with her skirt. She hated how everyone pretended as if she wouldn´t have to die anyway. As if dragging it out would change anything. As if… Bra was walking over to her, looking tired. It didn´t matter what she said, it didn´t matter that she knew that Bulma was still there, her mother was dead after all.

 

“Hey, are you okay? Saw Goku sitting here a sec ago.”

 

Chichi shrugged. “Vegeta is over there.”

 

Bra sat down next to her, stretching her legs. So the shoes were taking a toll. “I miss her.” She smiled weakly at Chichi. “Just that I can´t talk to her if I want to.” She looked at her shoes. “And my feet hurt like fuck.”

 

Chichi didn´t say anything. She felt bad for immediately assuming Bra wanted to guilt trip her again, although she hadn´t said another word after Chichi told her to leave her alone. “It´s worth it, I didn´t know it was allowed to look that good at a funeral.”

 

“My mum would be mad otherwise.” Now there was a genuine smile after all. “Did Goku say hello? Is she doing okay? Is she… is she in heaven?”

 

_Same as always…_ Chichi figured that meant yes on all accounts. “Everything is fine. Maybe he would let you talk to her.”

 

“No… no, better not. Better not get used to it.” She took a deep breath. “Alright, gonna get this over with.”

 

Bra was occupied for the rest of the time. Chichi talked to Goku some more, just updates about the kids and grandkids and nothing else. Everyone desperately wanted to pretend that humans didn´t die and for the first time she was glad about that.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

The changes happened gradually. Bra noticed them, bit by bit. How Chichi didn´t want to travel so much anymore because it was too exhausting, although she loved it so much to visit all the charities and schools she had founded. How she got tired so much, so often, all the time. How she sometimes spaced out, staring at nothing. How she… started to forget the little things. Birthdays. Dates. A fond memory she couldn´t recall.

 

It was weird, somehow. Bra had always thought that long relationships would inevitably lead to boredom and only seeing the flaws anymore. And there were so many flaws in both of them. But… she enjoyed it. She enjoyed just spending time together, just existing in close proximity. Bra hadn´t brought up the topic with the Dragonballs again, not after her mum´s funeral. Chichi had made up her mind and if Bra did something without her consent that would be it. And Bra preferred to spend all the time they had together instead of going against Chichi´s wish and losing her forever.

 

“Why aren´t you at work?”

 

Bra looked up. She had absentmindedly watched her red nail tip against her cup, listening to the soft sound.

 

“Don´t you remember? I told you I cut hours to take a break. Natalia is taking over most of it.”

 

Chichi looked at her, frowning. “Really? I must´ve worked in the kitchen, I´m always distracted and forget everything you tell me.”

 

Bra smiled. There was no reason to annoy Chichi. Getting old was hard enough.

 

“I thought maybe we could fly over to Cherry Island next weekend, go swimming. I also recall that the bed is especially soft…”

 

Chichi stretched her arms, leaning down deeper into the couch. “That sounds good, I´m so tired. This week was exhausting.”

 

“That´s not what I meant.” Bra got up from her spot on the table and slowly walked over to the couch. Chichi had been watching something, some TV series Bra didn´t care about. She leaned down, giving Chichi a tiny kiss. “But if you aren’t too tired we don´t have to wait until the weekend.”

 

Chichi grinned at her, a myriad of wrinkles appearing at her eyes. “Where do you take all that energy from?” She tried to hug Bra until she gave up and sat down on the couch, her head rested against Chichi´s shoulder. Snuggling wasn´t so bad as well.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Bra only went to work once a week, checking in and keeping up to date, it was still her company after all. Helping Natalia out if necessary, and the management staff was always in fluctuation, Bra liked to know the new members. It was always stressful, almost too much now that she was used to a less demanding lifestyle. She almost missed the phone call. They almost hadn´t called her. She almost… couldn´t breathe.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Bra didn´t want to touch her. She was afraid how it would feel, if it would be the last thing she remembered. She barely listened to the doctor, the frail silhouette of Chichi under the huge white blanket was distracting her too much. It didn´t look right.

 

“...probably caused by the heat and exhaustion. Was she in daycare?”

 

Bra noticed the pause. She had to answer something. “No… she was fine. I… she just went to the store around the corner.”

 

The doctor tried to look comforting. “Even small trips can be a huge task for very old people.”

 

It wasn´t right. It didn´t sound right. Chichi wasn’t that old! “What now? Is she in a coma?”

 

The comforting look changed to slightly uneasy. Or maybe it was just the smell of the woman. Bra wanted her to go away, but… she had to know.

 

“I´m afraid she isn´t going to wake up again. Her vitals are very low and there is not much we can do without… making it worse.”

 

Bra huffed. Worse. As if.

 

“Maybe you should try to say goodbye to your grandmother.”

 

Bra turned around, staring icily at the doctor. “She´s my wife. Thank you, that´s all.”

 

When the doctor finally left, Bra walked a step closer, stopped when her thigh was touching the bed. Chichi wasn´t hooked up on life support. She didn´t want to, and Bra finally understood why. She wouldn´t wake up again. It would just keep her body alive. Everything else… was already gone. Bra sucked in a shaky breath and walked away from the bed again. She had to call Gohan and Goten. They would want to say goodbye too.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Bra looked breathtaking. And he knew exactly why. The black dress was skintight, her hair pulled back in a high ponytail so strict she probably couldn´t properly move her face anymore and her shoes were sharp enough to stab someone. He remembered Bulma´s wake and if Chichi were here, she would approve. Goku huffed. He had visited her instantly, felt when her Ki disappeared from Earth. It was interesting, somehow. Bulma had remembered him for a long time, she was still there even. But Chichi hadn´t recognized him at all. He wondered if she had already passed on to her next life. He wondered if he should tell Bra.

 

The ceremony was short, traditional in a way. Bra was sitting in the front like a stone statue the whole time. Goku had expected her to hold a speech, at least some last words. But she just let the priest talk, his sons, a few other guests he didn´t know.

 

The chatter later was nice, he hadn´t seen some of his family in very long. The food was great. He wasn´t surprised when he heard that Bra had organized everything. He was only surprised when he couldn´t find her anywhere. It took him some tries to locate her Ki, it was weak and fluctuating. She wasn´t very good at hiding it though.

 

“Is this free?”

 

Bra didn´t look up. She was sitting on one of the stone benches in the tiny garden right in the middle of the house. It was quiet, far enough away from all the commotion inside. Bra gestured at the spot next to her. She didn´t talk. He couldn´t see her face properly, she had been wearing dark glasses all day.

 

“I miss her.”

 

“Can´t you see her all the time?” Bra sounded raw.

 

“It´s not the same.”

 

She didn´t respond. They sat there for a while, quietly. It reminded him of home. Of their house in the mountains.

 

“Don´t you want to come inside? Everyone is there.” He slowly put his hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but only a little.

 

“It´s your family, too.” He pulled her closer, until she leaned against him. She didn´t resist. “You don´t have to do this alone.”

 

She started shaking. He decided it was best to wait. He still wasn’t very patient, but it got easier with age.

 

“I don´t… I can´t…” The sobbing got worse. “I want to stay here.”

 

Goku didn´t leave and she didn’t complain.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

“Thanks for letting me stay here Aunt Bra!”

 

Bra waved. She had wondered why her niece couldn´t just buy her own place, but she lost interest soon. A few days were no problem.

 

“I´ve made a plan what we can do, there´s a lot of stuff I haven´t seen yet in Southeast City. It´s a shame, really. Do you still have that house on Cherry Island? Can we visit? The water there is amazing!”

 

She grabbed Bra´s arm and forcefully pushed her out on the terrace. The sun was incredibly bright that day. Bra didn´t like it.

 

“I love that couch, by the way. Is it waterproof? It rains a lot here, right?”

 

She pushed Bra down and sat down next to her close enough that their thighs almost overlapped.

 

“Mum doesn´t like it, you know. I guess that´s why she moved the headquarters to Northwest City. Do you still go to the company sometimes?”

 

Bra frowned. “It´s my company. Sana, it´s cute but I don´t really need your attempts to cheer me up. It´s fine. It´s been half a year already.”

 

Sana didn´t look convinced. She shuffled closer. “Aunt Bra, you look awful. You look like a human your age. And… don´t you want to get rid of the boxes?”

 

All the stuff she had packed up. All of Chichi´s stuff.

 

“I liked Aunt Chichi a LOT. She was a bit scary, but she was always fun and you know what? If she saw you moping around here, she would kick your ass and scream at you to stop being a slob!” Sana punched her for emphasis. “You know that! Move your butt now, we´re gonna get something to eat.”

 

“I don´t…”

 

“I don´t care Aunt Bra, I´m hungry and I´m still growing, so you have to feed me. And you can´t cook for shit.”

 

Bra got dragged away. Sometimes it was easier to just let things happen. The boxes disappeared the next few days. Only one thing was new. The little photo on the altar. Right next to Chichi´s dad.

 

Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It´s done. Finally! There are a million reasons I didn´t do this sooner and almost all of them involve my personal life, though I have to say that I did struggle with some parts of this chapter. I´m still happy how it turned out and I think it was necessary to let it end like that. Chichi´s arc was done, but Bra´s arc needed a proper ending.
> 
> Ok, hope you all enjoyed it and hope I could inspire maybe someone else to write this pairing. See you next time!


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